Shades of Twilight and the Warmth of Dawn
by SummerAssassin
Summary: A Clan is losing cats left and right. A Clan is blamed for every drop of blood. And another is stuck in the middle of this conflict. Twilight has been imbalanced for too long, it's about time someone connects the sun and moon again. Symbolically, of course. In other words, Dawnpaw has her paws filled to the brim with figuring out what the stars have planned for her.
1. Prologue

A gentle breeze sloped down the soft curves of the lands. It was almost too silent in the valley; the only disturbance to this peaceful ambiance was the insistent winds that caught onto fauna as they pushed through.

That is, until a scream broke out.

Birds scattered in panic at the loud sound, and small creatures quickly found shelter from whatever danger the frightening – or frightened? – wail entailed.

Rustling greatly increased in volume, followed shortly by the patter of paws hitting soft ground and sending showers of water where the feet splashed into puddles in the great rush that sent them working in a flurry. Slender, long black forms glided through the long grass, a much larger red shape tailing close behind. It could be easily recognized as a chase that could mean life or death for the pursued and a feast for the pursuer.

More chest-tightening moments passed, but the chase did not let up. But an unfortunate scene was about to unfold even so. A growing red patch was evident on one of the lean black forms, spilling over narrow shoulders to collect at the knot of their neck. It was a sure sign of their draining strength, an unfaltering ooze of thick, dark blood.

The bleeding blurry form, now recognizable as a dark-furred cat as they slowed down, too pained to push themselves forward. The other black cat tripped up slightly as they matched their pace with their partner's; seeming to be trying to get them to move faster, please, faster. The injured black cat looked conflicted, but then set a grimace and propelled themselves forward with even more speed than before.

The twin black cats were now nearing a slope that led up to an open woodland area. They sped up easily, finally finding themselves in a familiar terrain. Even with the fox practically biting at their heels, they maneuvered around the trees and through undergrowth like it was their birthright. This lasted all of two joyous moments, until the injured cat finally buckled and skidded across the grassy ground. Their partner, having just realized what had occurred a heartbeat after, let out a panicked noise as the fox slid to a halt, licking its long snout with hunger.

"Abel!" the black cat shouted, heart clenching with fear as the fox proved to be closer than they were. _No no no no_ played as a mantra in their mind, and they swerved around to stop it.

It quickly moved to trap Abel – hissing and squirming away with the best of his ability – but received a head-butt to its flank before it could get close enough for a bite. Angered, the fox twisted around and snarled at its attacker, the other dark-furred cat. They matched the fox with a face of hostility, teeth bared with intent of use.

"Like I'd let you to touch my brother, you foul creature," they spat, riling up the fox even more, but neither of them moved forward.

They stared each other down, the black cat keep their injured brother in their peripheral vision to secure their safety. They had to live, but above all, he had to.

They met Abel's wide gaze and swallowed. His eyes were full of fear and an unsaid message transmitted between them in that single exchange: don't die, brother.

 _If I don't make it, I beg of you spirits, please let him live._

Bunching up his well-formed muscles, he sprung upon the fox, immediately hooking his claws into its fur and sank them further into its flesh. The fox howled in pain and tried to throw him off but he refused to let go even when his hind leg flared up in pain as it snapped its jaws securely around. He clenched their teeth to bite a pained whimper from escaping, and then put those teeth to work and tore into the fox's shoulder with great malice and enthusiasm.

The fox let out a startled bark and released its hold, allowing him to wiggle himself safely onto the solid ground. He settled into a limp, dribbles of blood flowing down his leg.

A triumph grin found its way onto his muzzle when he saw that the fox was in a much worse condition, a large gash stretching across its shoulder and deep claw marks curling around its flank. It may have had an advantage before, but it was clear that he now had a fighting chance, if it wanted to fight at all at this point. Foxes were cowardly creatures.

Overwhelming relief washed over him when the latter occurred; the fox hunched into itself and scampered off with its tail between its legs. He sighed, feeling boneless, and trudged over to his brother, who had hidden himself in the undergrowth while the fight went down.

Abel was breathing evenly, though his blood soaked the ground dark and red. Abel's muzzle was also stained russet, signs that he had been trying to lap at his wound. He buried his face into Abel's soft neck, ignoring the metallic scent that flooded his senses, and fell onto his belly. "I thought I lost you," he murmured, finally resting his gaze onto the wound that the wretched fox clawed between Abel's shoulders while they had stopped to rest.

Abel breathed a startled laugh, partially an actual laugh and the other part just a choked exhale, and pressed his cheek against his brother's head. "Oh? And what makes you think a fox can bring down the mighty Abel?" he boasted jokingly, attempting to rise up to puff out his chest to play along even more, but his brother quickly noticed Abel's grimace and eased him back down.

"You're still not in a good condition, whether or not you're the _amazing Abel,"_ he gently scolded, pitching up his voice for the last part. Abel scrunched up his nose in supposed offense and said something about being _mighty_ not _amazing,_ but smiled easily when his brother swiped his tongue over his cheek and rose up shakily.

He rolled his shoulders and shook his injured leg; his body ached all over but he could handle his own weight and walk, which meant a little herb trip was in order. "Stay here, will you? I'll be back with something for those nasty scratches," he assured Abel, bringing his nose to his brother's forehead then pulled away and took off.

He walked for a while; the sun reached its highest point during his search, and began dropping when his paws touched damp, grassy ground. Perfect for comfrey. He could almost imagine his muscles screaming at him to stop and just wait until tomorrow to keep going, but Abel was important and needed to be treated.

A marsh, or rather, a swamp is what he seemed to have come across. He didn't waste time to appreciate the fauna; he began looking for the distinctive roots immediately. He located the comfrey quickly and secured a good amount between his teeth, then prepared himself for the long walk back to where Abel was hopefully safely hidden.

The instant before he started on his way, however, he caught the faintest voices, a shout that had carried from somewhere unbeknownst to him: a clan of cats.

He caught a single word, a single name, and then silence.

 _" - Dawnpaw!"_


	2. Allegiances

**SWAMPCLAN**

 _LEADER -_ Snakestar - a lean, muscular dark brown tabby tom with bright amber eyes

 _DEPUTY -_ Dappledfrost - a small, shaggy-furred tortoiseshell cat with very pale green eyes

 _MEDCINE CAT -_ Graythorn - a long-furred dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice - Birchpoppy)

 _WARRIORS:_

Cedarstorm - a scarred, broad-shouldered brown tabby tom with green eyes (Apprentice - Lionpaw)

Rainflight - a mottled gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Spiderstrike - a long-legged jet black tom with bright amber eyes (Apprentice - Dawnpaw)

Shadowclaw - a huge, broad-shouldered black tom with green eyes (Apprentice - Sootpaw)

Reedheart - a tall, dark golden-furred tom with dark amber eyes

Thistleshade - a dark blue-gray she-cat with very pale green eyes

Ivywhisker - a mottled dark brown and black she-cat with amber eyes

Mudnose - a shaggy-furred mottled brown tom with amber eyes

Talonstep - a brown tabby tom with white paws and pale blue eyes

 _APPRENTICES:_

Birchpoppy - an unusually-furred white she-cat with pale dapples and dark blue eyes

Dawnpaw - a slender, dilute tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Sootpaw - a muscular dark gray tabby tom with pale green eyes

Lionpaw - a golden-furred tom with white paws and dark green eyes

 _QUEENS:_

Sparrowsong - a small, dark brown tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and blue eyes (mother of spiderstrike's kits - nightkit, black-kit, and dustkit)

Russetfern - a dark, red-brown she-cat with pale amber eyes (expecting snakestar's kits)

 _ELDERS:_

Poolflower - a dark, blue-gray she-cat with white patches and blue eyes

Badgerfang - a black tom with white paws and amber eyes

Toadleap - a mottled brown tom with green eyes

* * *

 **SUNCLAN**

 _LEADER_ \- Brackenstar - a broad-shouldered golden-furred tom with pale green eyes

 _DEPUTY -_ Fogstorm - a tall, silver-gray tom with bright amber eyes

 _MEDICINE CAT -_ Brightsky - a very pale ginger she-cat with white patches and blue eyes

 _WARRIORS:_

Bramblingfoot - a long-furred, mottled tortoiseshell she-cat with gleaming yellow eyes

Foxstep - a tall, dark ginger tom with pale green eyes (Apprentice - Eaglepaw)

Thrushwing - a mottled brown and white she-cat with bright blue eyes (Apprentice - Lightningpaw)

* * *

 **CREEKCLAN**

 _LEADER -_ Ravenstar - a sleek, long-legged jet black she-cat with dark amber eyes

 _DEPUTY -_ Briarshadow - a slender, mottled light brown cat with bright yellow eyes

 _MEDICINE CAT -_ Mistyfern - a small, silver-furred she-cat with white paws and pale blue eyes

* * *

 **CATS OUTSIDE CLANS**

Raccoon - a thick-furred silver tabby tom with bright yellow eyes

Coin - a small, white she-cat with faint silver tabby markings and dull blue eyes


	3. 1: the start of all

**A/N: im thinkin of keepin one chapter per week schedule, how does that sound? oh and i should mention, i am planning to** **incorporate lgbt and neurodivergent characters so look forward to that nya**

* * *

Dawnkit squinted at the brightness that suddenly enveloped her vision, and could still make it out behind her eyelids when she closed them. Sticking out a foot, she squirmed to find her mother or her brothers. It was all warm around her, but her paw didn't bump into any soft mounds. Distress bubbled up and she tried opening her eyes again, now able to blink away the sting and actually see her surroundings.

The nursery was strangely empty save for Russetfern, who was curled around her bloated belly, and Sparrowsong, her small form tucked into a corner, dark brown flank gently rising and falling in signs of sleeping. _Where were her kits?_ They were practically Dawnkit's siblings. She quickly pieced two and two together though and deduced that Sparrowsong's kits and her brothers were in the alcove, being watched over by her mother.

The pale, faint sunshine felt lovely on her thin fur, enough to give her shivers all over as she stepped out from the nursery. Immediately, her nose and ears began to twitch. Too many scents and colors and sounds. She preferred the darkness, warm and heavy with the sweet smell of milk. Dawnkit shook herself. That was no way for a soon to be apprentice to think, she had to be positive! Adventurous! Flexible!

 _Everything she wasn't and her brothers were._

Intrusive thoughts like that came by often nowadays, and while she wasn't used to them, she knew there was no ground to them. She was just as good as everyone else, right? _Right,_ nodding to herself.

"Ah, Dawnkit?" a voice piped up, smooth and soft and deep and pleasing to her ears. Father was up as well.

She twisted around and saw the smiling face of Reedheart, his eyes warm with affection as he watched her toddle up to him. He leaned down and touched his nose to her forehead – "Good morning, love" – then nudged her forward. "Your mother is watching the little ones in the small clearing. Be nice to everyone, alright, love?" Dawnkit giggled and rubbed against her father's legs, humming her confirmation before taking off. He was just the best, wasn't he?

Sure enough, her mother stood tall at the edge of the small clearing that branched off the bigger one, her dark fur allowing her blend easily into the shadows even while her pale eyes stayed ever so vigilant. When Dawnkit stepped into the ring of the smooth, moist ground, Thistleshade's eyes flickered as they swept over her. A brief, unexplainable panic took hold of Dawnpaw as her mother stared at her, then sagged in relief when the dark-furred warrior returned to keeping watch.

Lionkit and Sootkit, Dawnkit's brothers, wrestled with strange ease, as if they have been practicing or taught the moves. Whatever it was, they were fascinating to watch. Sootkit bit down on Lionkit's scruff and rolled over; with his teeth fastened tightly, he rolled onto his back and reeled back before sending Lionkit skidding away with a powerful kick. Lionkit twisted with the momentum and landed safely on his paws, crouched and ready for more. Dawnkit could barely contain her impressed squeal.

Her brothers were amazing!

She noticed Sparrowsong's kits attempting to copy her brothers off in the other corner of the alcove, and failing quite amusingly. Nightkit tried to haul Dustkit up by her scruff but the mottled kit's paws barely left the ground when her black-furred sister rolled onto her back, and then they both crashed into their brother, who had been watching them closely at their side. Blackkit wasn't really one for fighting, or maybe he just didn't want to face against his sisters. It didn't really matter to Dawnkit either way; he still smiled at her when she passed even if he was pinned by two very squirmy siblings, and that's all that she needed to soothe the insistent ache in her chest when he sheepishly look to Thistleshade for assistance.

Dawnkit looked to her mother as well. She took the sign easily enough and went to ease Nightkit and Dustkit off of their brother, who thanked her breathlessly. When Thistleshade padded back to her spot, she brushed against Dawnkit and murmured a quiet greeting. The young she-cat felt a swell of joy. Her mother barely even kept close contact on good days, she must be in a good mood!

Her happiness rocketed up even more when Thistleshade gestured to the space next to her and looked up at her daughter. Dawnkit did a little excited hop and plopped down next to her, grinning widely when Thistleshade curled her tail around her.

"What's the occasion, mother?" she prompted, gazing up at her. Thistleshade twitched an ear and glanced down at her tiny and only daughter. "It's your ceremony today. Your brothers are practicing some moves they saw your father demonstrate. You'll be out of the nursery and out in the world like I am, might as well let you get some softness from me while you still can."

Dawnkit blinked. That was the most she has ever heard from her mother in one sitting. When her words finally settled in, though, a warm feeling flooded her from whiskers to tail then sparked like flames. "I'm becoming an apprentice? Finally?" she pushed, already knowing the answer but StarClan did she want to hear it again.

Thistleshade cracked a half smile, exciting Dawnkit even further. "Yes."

"When?" she pushed again, shifting her paws excessively while her mother glanced up at the sky. The sun had nearly reached its peak, shining between the thick knots of trees that safely surrounded the camp, where it was otherwise guarded by deep, murky waters.

Her mother rose up and flexed her shoulders, grunting softly as they cracked. "About now, it seems." She gazed over at her wrestling sons. "Lion, Soot, now." The two seized their fighting immediately, apparently been waiting for their mother's signal. Their fur was muddy and stuck up in places where they rubbed the ground or each other the wrong way. Compared to Dawnkit's slightly sleep-roused pelt, they looked to be messes. Despite this, their eyes shined with confidence and childish excitement.

Lionpaw lumbered over to Thistleshade, leaning into her touch when she began swiping at the chaos of his thick golden fur with her tongue. Sootpaw, not much for waiting in this type of situation, twisted around awkwardly in an attempt to arrange his own eyesore of a pelt. Dawnkit laughed and went over to assist her dark-furred brother. He touched his nose to her ear in gratefulness, and even flattened a patch of untamed fur on her shoulder she hadn't noticed.

It didn't take too long for her brothers to bear smooth, mud-slickened fur, and once they confirmed ready – Sootkit tried to hide his grin by ducking his head while Lionkit kept shoulder-checking Dawnkit in his boundless excitement – Thistleshade led them and Sparrowsong's kits to the main clearing. She nudged the younger kittens towards the nursery, telling them that they had to watch from there. Dustkit huffed in annoyance and even Blackkit look displeased, but Nightkit shoved her siblings forward, shouting, "C'mon! We gotta listen to warriors," as she went. Dawnkit smiled; they had good spirit. A spirit that would most certainly wake them up early tomorrow if they wanted to try out Reedheart's moves again.

Oh. Wait.

They weren't sharing the nursery anymore. Dawnkit and her brothers would have to sleep in the apprentice's den from now on until they were warriors.

Despite her previous excitement, she suddenly felt gripping loneliness and was just _upset_. She didn't want to leave the nursery. She really, really didn't want change. Change was scary.

When she looked to Lionkit and Sootkit, though, some of that crushing panic became lighter. Lionkit with his warm smiles and his contagious laughter and his endurance, Sootkit with his social shyness and his embarrassed excitement and his stocky build. Her brothers, who would be with her no matter what. Dawnkit breathed out easily and stepped up behind them in the middle of the clearing.

Snakestar had already called for the Clan to gather while Dawnkit was experiencing her panic, and he stood proudly at the edge of the Fallen Tree. The aged log supported her leader's weight without a single waver, and even sparked her excitement even more. Countless claw marks decorated the bark; some newer, some embedded in forgotten times, all by previous leaders and even some lucky warriors who received the honor.

Her attention snapped back to the ceremony when Dappledfrost, the Clan's deputy, settled at the base of the log, almost directly beneath Snakestar and wrapped her tail neatly around her paws. Dawnpaw pawed the soft ground with joyous abandon. Snakestar glanced at his deputy and nodded, then cleared his throat to speak: "We have gathered today to give these kits their long awaited apprenticeship." He paused, and looked down at the three.

"Sootkit, Lionkit, Dawnkit, you have all reached six moons almost a moon ago, and for that I apologize for how late your rightful promotion is. From now on, until you three receive your warrior names, you will be known as Sootpaw, Dawnpaw, and Lionpaw respectfully." They straightened up at the call of their new names, and Sootpaw tried to subtly look around for his mentor, but Snakestar noticed and smiled. "Sootpaw," he called, startling the dark-furred apprentice, "You have already shown promising strength that I hope will support the Clan greatly. To sharpen it, I have assigned Shadowclaw to be your mentor."

A huge broad-shouldered warrior stepped forward from the crowd, and then leaned down to tap his nose against Sootpaw's. He grinned foxily as he pulled away from his new apprentice. "You'll be challenged, little Soot. Are you ready for that?" Sootpaw's eyes shone at his mentor's words, and nodded firmly. "I'm ready at any time, Shadowclaw," he assured, goading an even wider smile from the black-furred warrior. "Just what I wanted to hear. C'mon, let's wait over here while this finishes up."

Snakestar watched the exchange patiently, projecting his voice again once the two settled at the edge of the crowd. "Lionpaw, step forward," The golden tom obediently closed the distance even more so, but his excitement was clear in the way he kept glancing around and how his tail mimicked a snake. "Your mentor will be Cedarstorm, and I trust that he will prove to be an incredibly efficient mentor when it comes to putting that energy to work." From Dawnpaw's right, a big scarred tom shouldered up to the very front. Though the old marks on his skin varied from fresh to ancient, his muscles spoke power with every deliberate step. Cedarstorm halted in front of his new apprentice, and met him halfway to touch – or, bump in this case – noses. "It's a pleasure to have you, little lion," the senior warrior purred, much to Lionpaw's content as he was led over to where Sootpaw was watching the ceremony with his own mentor.

Having been distracted by her brothers, Dawnpaw – her name was Dawnpaw now! – stiffened when it was finally her turn. Snakestar nodded when she stepped closer, and then spoke once again: "Dawnpaw, I see great potential in you. Where it goes, I'll leave to you and your mentor to figure out. Spiderstrike," he called, nodding slightly when a slender, long-legged tom sauntered up. Dawnpaw couldn't help but stare; he was much smaller and thinner than Lionpaw and Sootpaw's mentors, but she wouldn't dare say that aloud, especially when she met his startlingly bright amber eyes. He was much closer all of a sudden, and she nearly forgotten about tradition until she felt his cold nose touch hers gently. "Calm down, the ceremony will be over in a moment," Spiderstrike murmured just as he pulled away, and Dawnpaw was left stunned. How had he known she was anxious? Well, whatever. She felt like bursting, whether from nausea or pure joy it didn't matter.

The Clan began chanting the new apprentices' names once she stepped away from Spiderstrike, and the emotion she felt was now recognizable as happiness.

 _"Sootpaw! Lionpaw! Da-"_

Ah, so many good emotions. Dawnpaw swept her gaze over her cheering Clanmates, their pleased faces fueling her positivity. She was going to be a great apprentice.

 _"-paw! Sootpaw! Lio-"_

Her eyes wandered to the trees and, for reasons she could never imagine at the time, a shiver ran up her spine.

 _"-ionpaw-"_

When Lionpaw asks her a moment later why she kept staring at the trees, she shrugs without much hesitation.

She thought she saw a flash of black. How silly was that?

 _"- Dawnpaw!"_

She felt nauseous.


End file.
